 | |  The Government released the Terms of Reference for the White Paper on the Reform of the Federation on Saturday 28 June. Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that it was necessary to reduce and, if possible, end duplication and make interacting with government simpler. "We need to clarify roles and responsibilities for States and Territories so that they are, as far as possible, sovereign in their own sphere," he said. Mr Abbott said the Commonwealth would continue to take a leadership role on issues of genuine national and strategic importance, but there should be less Commonwealth intervention in areas where States have primary responsibility. The Terms of Reference have been developed in collaboration with States and Territories, as agreed at the last meeting of the Council of Australian Governments, and the White Paper will be a standing item on the COAG agenda. The White Paper process will be overseen by a Steering Committee comprising the Secretaries and Chief Executives of the Commonwealth Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, State/Territory First Ministers' departments and the Australian Local Government Association. Within the constitutional framework, consideration will be given to, as part of the White Paper process: - the practicalities of limiting Commonwealth policies and funding to core national interest matters, as typified by the matters in section 51 of the Constitution;
- reducing or, if appropriate, eliminating overlap between Local, State and Commonwealth responsibility or involvement in the delivery and funding of public programmes;
- achieving agreement between State and Commonwealth governments about their distinct and mutually exclusive responsibilities and subsequent funding sources for associated programmes; and
- achieving equity and sustainability in the funding of any programmes that are deemed to be the responsibility of more than one level of government.
Issues papers will be released in the second half of 2014. The Green Paper will be released in the first half of 2015 and the White Paper by the end of 2015. The Federation White Paper will be coordinated with the White Paper on the Reform of Australia's Tax System. To read the terms of reference click here. | | | | |  The Legislative and Governance Forum on Food Regulation met in Sydney on Friday 27 June and considered a range of issues including the Health Star Rating System, progress made by industry in Australia and New Zealand in placing pregnancy warnings on alcohol products, the review of the policy guideline on the regulatory management of caffeine in the food supply and a policy on the labelling of food produced using new technologies. The Forum consists of all Australian and New Zealand Ministers responsible for food regulation and is chaired by the Australian Government Assistant Minister for Health, Senator the Hon Fiona Nash. ALGA is also represented at the meetings. Ministers discussed the voluntary introduction of a Health Star Rating (HSR) system and welcomed the announcement from New Zealand to join the voluntary HSR system. The Forum agreed that the HSR system should be implemented voluntarily over the next five years with a review of the progress of implementation after two years with a commencement date of 27 June 2014. The implementation time-frame has been extended to enable cost effective implementation and the potential for food reformulation and consultation with small and medium sized enterprises. To support the implementation of the voluntary HSR system an education campaign is close to being finalised, at which point the HSR website will be launched. This will inform both consumers and industry to encourage their participation in the initiative. To ensure industry can adopt the system without delay, the Forum agreed that the HSR style guide and calculator will be made available on the Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council website. | | | | |  The Federal Government's Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF), the central component of the 'Direct Action' climate change policy, will be before the new Senate in coming weeks. The implementation of the ERF is dependent on the repeal of the Carbon Price Mechanism and both matters have been the subject of extensive media coverage in recent weeks, including a press conference last week with Palmer United Party leader Clive Palmer and former United States vice president and climate change campaigner Al Gore. In its submission to Government on the ERF, ALGA outlined a number of issues with the ERF that may impact on the ability of local government to participate in the scheme. The White Paper on the ERF outlines how the Government proposes to credit emissions reductions, from projects such as capturing landfill gas, reforesting and revegetating marginal land, and then purchase these emission reductions at lowest cost through an auction system. ALGA's submission looked at a number of technical issues with the design of the auction system that will need to be addressed in the legislation that underpins the ERF. | | |
| |  I have attended my first United Cities and Local Governments Asia Pacific (UCLG ASPAC) meeting and it has been an interesting experience on a number of levels. Internationalisation is something that we must not turn our back on. In Africa the overwhelming issue is the huge need for training and support in basic governance and the fundamentals associated with setting up a system of government from nothing. In contrast the Asia-Pacific region is where the action. They are keen to make their cities innovative, creative, vibrant and sustainable. I was impressed with the passion and enthusiasm with which those who presented at the UCLG ASPAC Conference embraced the theme. It is fair to say there are different challenges for each country and even within countries. It is important to remain connected with these countries as there is much to learn from them. The UCLG ASPAC office is small, like ALGA, and serves an important purpose for the local government leaders in our region. One of the Co - Presidents, the current Governor of Jakarta Capital City is contesting the Presidency of Indonesia, so the people in this organisation are not insignificant players in the region. The UCLG Executive Committee meeting identified that it was developing a strategic plan. There was a survey sent to all members as part of a needs analysis and the information from the survey formed the basis for the discussion at the planning meeting I attended. This will help drive the future direction of the organisation. There are also international opportunities for our communities. From my discussions with the CLAIR staff at the NGA conference there are programs such as Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) program which provide positions for Australians to travel to Japan and work in schools or Local Government for several years. Most participants currently come from the US and given the number of Sister City relationships that we have in Australia I am not sure why we are not sending many more young people. I suspect that we are not promoting these programs. I was not aware of them myself and we have had a sister city relationship for 20 years! Also at an international level, the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) is urging councils from across Australia to take part in the United Nation's consultation on localising the post-2015 development agenda. To take part in the consultation sign up to the UN's 'worldwewant2015' website, you need to set yourself up with a user name and password which is a simple process, and once you’re logged in, visit the consultation page at www.worldwewant2015.org/localising2015. It is really critical that we encourage as many local government contributions to this discussion as possible, to make sure that the issues that affect local government are fully reflected in the debate around implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. At the end of the consultation period a full report will be compiled and sent to the UN Secretary General and we must ensure that the local government voice is heard. Mayor, Dr Felicity-ann Lewis
President ALGA | | |
| | Australia's health system is facing sharply rising costs and a growing number of demands, according to a new report released last week. Minister for Health, Peter Dutton, said the Australia's Health 2014 report confirmed that the ageing of Australia's population, chronic diseases, consumer expectations and new health technologies were factors in the growing expense of health and hospital services. "Australians on average are now living 25 years longer than a century ago; however, these improvements come with a rapidly rising price tag." Mr Dutton said. "The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report found that total health spending in 2011-12 was around $140.2 billion, which was 70 per cent higher in real terms than a decade prior. "The report shows that health expenditure has grown in real terms at an average rate of 5.4 per cent per year in the past decade, far outstripping growth in the broader economy, which has only been growing at 3.1 per cent. "Health spending per person has risen from $4,276 in 2001-02 to $6,230 in 2011-12. The biennial Australia's Health report, compiled by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare is the most comprehensive analysis of the health of Australians and their health system. The 2014 edition found that chronic diseases were the leading cause of illness, disability and death in Australia, accounting for 90 per cent of all deaths in 2011. More information here. | | | | | Councils in Australia have a new resource to comprehensively assess the services they provide for local communities. Service Delivery Review: A How to Manual for Local Government, published by the Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government (ACELG) at UTS, brings together advice, toolkits and templates to help councils regardless of size with this critical task. The centrepiece of the Manual is a 'framework for a service delivery review.' ACELG Director Associate Professor Roberta Ryan and co-author of the Manual said the resource meets an increasing need from the sector for practical guidance in undertaking service delivery reviews that are consistent with current local governance practice and processes. The manual was launched by Peter Gesling, General Manager of Port Stephens Council (NSW). A workshop also co-hosted by Port Stephens Council outlined key aspects of the Manual for local government professionals from the region. The Manual is intended for council staff such as department managers, elected members, CEOs and general managers, community engagement staff, and builds upon ACELG research Service Delivery Reviews in Australian Local Government(2012) and discussions from the short course 'Enhancing Local Government Service Delivery' run by the UTS Centre for Local Government. Service Delivery Review: A How to Manual for Local Government can be downloaded here. | | | | | Assistant Social Services Minister Mitch Field has announced a range of changes to the aged care system that came into effect from 1 July.
Changes include: - More support for older people to stay independent and in their own home through more home care packages to meet their needs.
- People will have greater choice and flexibility for how they pay for accommodation and services, whether it is a refundable accommodation deposit, a daily accommodation payment, or a combination of both, with 28 days to decide how they would like to pay.
- Transparent accommodation prices and services, with all residential aged care providers required to publish the maximum amount they charge for accommodation and extra services, giving older people and their families more choice and transparency in what providers charge.
- A new means test in residential care will help determine a person's fair contribution, if any, to their care and accommodation, based on both their assets and income. New means test arrangements will also apply to home care.
- New capping arrangements will help make the system more affordable overall for individuals. A $25,000 annual cap to means tested care fees in residential care will be introduced, and caps will also be in place for home care, set at $5,000 a year for part pensioners and $10,000 a year for self-funded retirees. A $60,000 lifetime cap on means tested care fees across both home and residential care will limit the total cost an individual will spend on their care overall.
Consumers can now access information through the MyAgedCare gateway, where people can compare prices and features in the one place. They can also use an online fee estimator for an idea of what they can expect to pay for their care. People can contact the My Aged Care gateway on 1800 200 422 or visit www.myagedcare.gov.au | | | | | Volunteers play a critical role in delivering services on behalf of local government around Australia, and indeed worldwide. The contribution volunteers make will be discussed and celebrated at the 23rd IAVE World Volunteer Conference and Youth Volunteer Conference on the Gold Coast in September 2014. The theme of the conference is Volunteering: Today's Imperative. This biennial conference is the signature event of the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) and for only the second time in its 44-year history, this global convening of leaders in volunteering will return to Australia with a packed program of more than 100 international and domestic speakers. The conference in 2014 is being hosted by Volunteering Australia. As well as plenary and forum sessions there are 50 breakout sessions for delegates to choose from on topics such as the role of volunteers in building strong communities and creating social capital, the role of government in supporting volunteering, youth and volunteering, corporate and employee volunteering, volunteering and disaster preparedness and response, to name a few. The Youth Volunteer Conference will take place 15-17 September 2014 and the 23rd IAVE World Volunteer Conference will follow from 17-20 September 2014 on the Gold Coast. Early bird registration closes on 31 July so book now to attend one or both events. To register and find out more, visit www.iave2014.org Conference organisers also encourage you to promote the events to local networks of volunteer organisations. | | | | | Councils have just days left to make a submission as part of a review of the Citizenship Ceremonies Code being undertaken by the Federal Government. Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Michaelia Cash spoke about the review at the National General Assembly recently. The review is seeking feedback from councils who use the Code to conduct citizenship ceremonies. Submissions can be made until 14 July 2014. The Department of Immigration and Border Protection is coordinating the review and can be contacted via citizenship@immi.gov.au | | | | | In a boost to the availability of broadband in the bush, the number of premises covered by the National Broadband Network's (NBN) fixed wireless service has risen nearly fourfold over the past 12 months to 106,000 homes, farms and businesses. The figure includes 20,000 premises in rural and regional areas across the country where the NBN is newly available, including Humpty Doo, Northern Territory and parts of the Mid North Coast, NSW. According to the latest figures from NBN Co, the fixed wireless service is available to 106,000 premises - up from 27,250 premises on 30 June 2013. Over the same period there has also been a sevenfold increase in the number of families and businesses using the service - rising from 1,870 premises a year ago to 16,000 premises today. The sharp increase in users coincides with the addition to the fixed wireless product suite a year ago of the higher 25 megabits per second wholesale speed tier. NBN Co’s fixed wireless service offers wholesale download speeds of up to 25 megabits per second and wholesale upload speeds of up to five megabits per second to telephone and internet service providers. Residents are encouraged to click here to find out if their premise is included in the coverage footprint and follow the three step guide to connecting to the NBN. | | | | | The Minister for Social Services, the Hon Kevin Andrews MP, released the Interim Report of the Reference Group on Welfare Reform on Tuesday, 30 June. The launch of the Interim Report marks the start of a six week period of public consultation, including a call for public submissions and round tables in capital cities. Interested parties can make a submission until 8 August 2014. The Reference Group comprises Patrick McClure AO (Chair), Wesley Aird and Sally Sinclair. The Reference Group on Welfare Reform has recommended that Australia's income support system of the future should have a simpler architecture, a fair rate structure, a common approach to adjusting payments, a new approach to support for families with children, effective rent assistance, rewards for work, and that target assistance to areas of need. The recommendations include a simpler architecture made up of fewer payments, namely: - A tiered working age payment.
- Disability Support Pension.
- Child payment changes.
- The Aged Pension
For more information on the report or to make a submission click here. | | | | | More than $1 million has been allocated to western Queensland councils under the Federal Government's Natural Disaster Mitigation program. Sixteen projects from 11 council areas have been funded. The Boulia Shire Council will get $200,000 to install and erect flood warning systems on the Diamantina and Middleton channels, while the Winton Shire Council will get $100,000 to construct a levee around some boundaries of the town. The Barcaldine council will receive $143,000 for enhancing flood warning systems at Jericho and raising the levee there. A total of $238,000 will be allocated to the Barcoo council, while Blackall-Tambo and the Diamantina councils will also benefit. The Longreach Regional Council has been allocated $37,000 to conduct a flood mitigation study. | | | | | Australia's newest city was officially declared on Tuesday 1 July. The City of Karratha was renamed by WA Minister for Local Government and Communities Tony Simpson at an unveiling ceremony attended by members of Parliament, Council representatives and local business leaders. The City of Karratha was formally the Shire of Roebourne. City of Karratha Mayor Peter Long said the change was a significant milestone in the region's evolution and a sign of great things to come in the future. "Our region has come a long way since its early pastoral and pearling days and is now home for some 25,000 residents. A lot has changed in recent years and Council has been working hard to deliver community services and facilities that meet and exceed the needs of our growing population," Mayor Long said. City of Karratha Chief Executive Officer Chris Adams said the change would deliver better outcomes for the community. "We take great pride in the transformation that we have undertaken from Shire to City - not just in the change in status but in the real changes we have been able to bring about on the ground for our community. As we enter our first year of operation as a city, we are looking forward to the new opportunities that city status will bring." | | | | | Nominations are open for the annual Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards. The Awards recognise programs that reduce crime and violence. In 2013 awards from $1000 to $15,000 supported 15 projects nation-wide. This year the focus is on projects that: - use technology and social media to prevent crime
- firearm related crime prevention (policing), and
- innovative partnership (cross-cultural partnerships and multiculturalism)
For more information on how to nominate click here, email acvpa@aic.gov.au or call 02 6260 9216. Nominations close 1 August, 2014. | | |
| | | | | | | |  Nominations open for National Disability Awards Recognising outstanding achievements to improve the lives of people with disability Nominations for the 2014 National Disability Awards are now open. Help us celebrate people and organisations that are committed to enabling a more inclusive Australian society - through supporting people with disability to participate more fully in society and reach their goals. This year we want to reach out across Australia to change attitudes and break down barriers so that people with disability can enjoy equal access to what many others take for granted - a good start to life; a good education; a job and greater economic security; and better access to buildings and transport, the legal system, recreational and cultural activities, health services and achieving better health and wellbeing. Nominations are now open in eight categories: - Lesley Hall Award for Lifetime Achievement in Disability
- Emerging Leaders Award in Disability
- Improving Inclusive and Accessible Communities Award
- Improving Advocacy and Rights Promotion Award
- Improving Employment Opportunities Award
- Improving Personal and Community Support Award
- Improving Education Outcomes Award
- Improving Health and Wellbeing Outcomes Award.
Nominations close on 18 July. Head to the IDPWD website to connect with us via our e-newsletter to receive updates. Also, please join the #NationalDisabilityAwards and #ozemployability conversations on Twitter @IDPwD and like us at Facebook.com/IDPwD. |
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